Children’s proper growth key to building stronger Bangladesh: PM
Children’s Development Placed at the Centre of Bangladesh’s Future
Bdbusinessdaily.com – Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has called for a broader approach to children’s development, saying Bangladesh’s long-term strength will depend on whether young people are given the chance to grow with confidence, skills and humanity.
Speaking at Bangladesh Shishu Academy on 6 October during a programme marking Children’s Rights Day 2026 and the academy’s 50th anniversary, he said support for children must extend beyond classroom learning. Sports, music, arts, culture and language education, he said, can help children discover their abilities and prepare for a changing world.
“Today’s children are the pillars of their families. If they can grow up properly, the foundation of their families will become stronger. Likewise, if we can provide all children across Bangladesh with opportunities to develop properly, the foundation of our country will become much stronger,” he said.
A stronger future begins with children
The prime minister linked children’s well-being directly to the country’s national progress. In his remarks, he said that building a secure future for children is inseparable from building a secure future for Bangladesh.
“Making the future of today’s children strong means making the future of the nation strong. And a strong future for the nation means we will be able to build a strong and powerful Bangladesh,” he said.
His message placed particular emphasis on recognising that children do not all thrive in the same way. While formal education remains important, he said children should not be limited to conventional academic expectations. Families and schools should create room for different interests, including creative work and physical activity.
Addressing the audience as his “little friends,” Tarique Rahman encouraged children to pursue the fields that attract them most. He spoke of his own childhood wish to play the guitar and keyboard, using the memory to urge young people to continue ambitions that earlier generations may not have had the opportunity to fulfil.
Recognising talent beyond the classroom
Many children show promise in drawing, recitation, singing, dancing and other creative pursuits, the prime minister said. The task for parents and educators is to notice those strengths and help young people develop them, rather than placing all attention on a narrow definition of academic success.
He urged parents not to pressure children into following only familiar educational paths. A child’s personal interests, he said, should be treated as an important part of development. Exposure to culture, sports and music can help children build confidence while allowing them to explore what they do best.
“I want you to complete what I could not,” he told the children.
The government’s stated goal is to make arts, culture, music and sports more accessible so that children can choose activities suited to their own preferences. This is especially significant for families who may not be able to pay for private lessons, sports coaching or cultural programmes.
Tarique Rahman noted that children in remote and rural communities often have fewer opportunities to participate in extracurricular activities. He said facilities are being considered from the school level so that access to these fields is not determined solely by a family’s financial capacity or location.
Sports and cultural programmes
The prime minister highlighted a nationwide primary-level football competition as an example of efforts to identify young sporting talent. About 22 lakh boys and girls took part in the competition, he said, demonstrating the scale of interest in sport among children across the country.
He expressed hope that sustained programmes of this kind could eventually produce footballers and athletes capable of earning recognition internationally. The wider objective is not limited to producing elite competitors; regular access to sports also gives children a constructive space to develop discipline, teamwork and physical confidence.
He also referred to the “Natun Kuri” programme, launched by Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman to encourage children’s cultural abilities. Tarique Rahman said that initiative has been revived, along with a sports-focused version of “Natun Kuri.”
“We want to build our children in such a way that a child will have good exposure to art and culture, become skilled in them, and similarly develop proficiency in music and sports,” he said.
The comments point to a vision in which schools play a greater role in helping children test different interests. If plans move ahead as described, primary and secondary students could gain opportunities to learn music, play instruments and select sports based on their interests from 2027 or 2028.
Language skills for a global environment
Alongside Bangla and English, the prime minister announced plans to introduce opportunities for children to study a third language. The possible options mentioned were Arabic, Mandarin, German and Japanese.
He said familiarity with an additional foreign language could assist students in future study and employment abroad. It could also help young Bangladeshis compete more effectively in an increasingly international environment. The proposal presents language learning as a practical skill, while retaining Bangla and English as central parts of education.
For children, such opportunities could mean more choices rather than a single prescribed path. The value of the proposed approach will depend on whether schools receive the resources, trained teachers and accessible learning settings needed to make those choices meaningful for students in every part of the country.
Humanity as an essential lesson
Tarique Rahman stressed that achievement in education, sport, culture or languages should not be seen as sufficient on its own. He said children must also grow into compassionate people.
“Children must also become humane,” he said.
He urged young people to show care not only for other people but also for nature, animals and birds. The appeal added an ethical dimension to his wider message: developing talent and gaining skills should go hand in hand with empathy and responsibility.
As Bangladesh Shishu Academy marked five decades of work, the prime minister’s remarks focused on the kind of support children need to build their own futures. A stronger Bangladesh, he suggested, will be shaped not simply by academic results, but by children who have room to learn, create, compete, communicate and care for the world around them.
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